Article

Pressure ulcer prevention is critically important for many people with reduced
mobility. The authors investigated whether sensory (sub-motor-threshold)
electrical stimulation (ES) may provide a convenient preventive intervention. A double-blinded, repeated measures study design was used to test the hypothesis
that repeated use of sensory surface ES improves tissue health status in
individuals with motor paralysis. Six adult males with complete spinal cord
injury (SCI) were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups. The treatment
group received the ES intervention, whereas the control group received a control
sham intervention. Repeated tissue health assessments included transcutaneous
oxygen tension (T(c)PO(2)), interface pressure mapping, and gluteal computed
tomography (CT) studies. An initial increase in T(c)PO(2) following use of
subthreshold ES was observed but was not sustained at follow-up. No statistically
significant changes before and after treatment were found in regional T(c)PO(2),
gluteal muscle area or pressure distribution. Thus subthreshold ES does not
appear to have any sustained effects on tissue health status indicative of
reduced pressure ulcer risk for individuals with SCI. This implies that a
contractile muscle response is critically important and further that subthreshold
ES is unlikely to prevent pressure ulcers. Further studies are needed to find
solutions for preventing pressure ulcers in high-risk populations.

Langue : ANGLAIS